Washing machine



B. E. GETZ WASHING MACHINE May 19, 1931.

Filed July l9. 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet l Im'szEnrmE- May 19, 1931.

B. E. GETZ WASHING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 19. 1929 I lllilizwv I Imvznrma- Patented May 19, 1931 UNITED. smras BENJAMIN E. GETZ, OF MORTON, ILLINOIS wAsnmemcnmn I Application filed July 19, 1929. Serial No. 379,407.

This invention has reference to'a domestic appliance and in particular a washing machine; such machine being designed especial-- ly for household use and wherein, during the washing operation or followingsuch operation, the free water is abstracted from the clothing or other articles by an extractor.

The invention has for one of its objects to mount the washing tub and the extractor in ornpon a common support and to operate both the tub actuating parts and the extractor from a common motor, with controlling means whereby both may be actuated simultaneously or separately.

The invention has for a further object to mount and rotate the extractor within a housing and to provide a superimposed and surrounding water conducting housing for the extractor, having valved communicating means with the tub; and also a valved communicating means between the tub and extractor housing near the base of the latter.

A further object of the invention is to provide the extractor with communicating openings in its lower end with its housing and liquid impelling means on the base of said extractor next adjacent its communicating openings, to force water in the base of the housing through such openings into the ex;

' tractor and then by centrifugal action, as

the extractor is rotated, to lift and discharge the water from the upper end of said extractor; water conducting and valved con trolled means being provided to discharge the water into the washing tub .or to a rinsing tub or drain, as may be desired; a water shed and guard being provided at the top of the extractor and encircling the same to prevent water discharged from the extractor re-entering the extractor housing, at its upper end. A further object of the invention is to pro vide a hinged drain board and cover for the extractor; such board being hinged to the the washing ,tub, to assume a draining position between the extractor and a rinse tub, or swung up and over the extractor to provide a cover therefor and to, prevent splashing of water from the extractor, during rotaextractor housing at the side farthest from tion thereof and extraction of water from the clothes or other materials.

A still further object of the invention is to construct the extractor with a surrounding housing and to rotatably, support the extractor within such housing on a water sealed stem extending vertically and axially from the housing within an axially disposed sleeve within said extractor; journalling'a' vertically disposed operating shaft within said stem and providing a means for vertically and axially moving said shaft to clutch and declutch such shaft with actuatingmeans at the base of said shaft; a braking means being provided to retard and stop'rotation of the shaft when declutched, and to provide a centering and stabilizing means for said stem and sleeve between the hinged drain board and said shaft lifting means.

That the invention may be more fully understood, reference is had to the accompanying drawings forming part of this description, illustrating a preferred embodiment of the invention, in which Fig. 1 is a side elevation of my improved washing machine with extractor, the hinged drain board shown in draining position, in full lines, overlying a rinse tub, and in dotted lines overlying the extractor to serve as a cover therefor;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a detail, in section, showing the valve communicating means between the upper end of the extractor housing and the washing tub;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view showing the detail construction of the extractor and its housing, operating means therefor and mode of conducting water from the extractor and conducting means for the water from the washing tub to the base of the extractor housing;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of the extractor and liquid impelling means on the base thereof;

Fig. 6 is aface view of the base of said extractor showing the arrangement of the openings therein and liquid impelling means associated therewith, and

Fig. 7 shows a sectional detail and plan as 100 the same would appearon the linef7--7, of such'section, of the means for lifting the extractor operating shaft and for holding the same in declutched position.

Like characters of reference denote corresponding parts throughout the figures. ,1

Referring more particularly ,to Figs. 1 and 2, the washing tubis designated'l provided with a suitable agitator 2 operated from a shaft 3 extending up through the bottom of the tub. I am not concerned with the recisc means for imparting alternate rotation to said shaft 3, as such means is well known; except that a motor 4,. through pulleys 5 and 6 anda belt 7, imparts power toa shaft 8 which is a common actuating means for transmitting. power through suitable transmission means 9 to the shaft 3 and to means, to be more fully described,- for imparting movement to the extractor, also to be described. The means 9 usually includes a means for controlling the operative connection between said shaft3 and said means, but due to such -control being well known and understood, it is not thought necessary to further describe the same.

The extractor, see Fig. 4, includes. a housing 10 from which is suspended or depends a gear casing 11 in which is jou'rnaled one end of the shaft 8 and on said shaft within said casing is a bevel ear 12 having a meshing relation with a evel gear 13 loosely carried on a shaft 14 arranged for vertical and axial movement in its bearings and in said gear 13, for purposes to be more fully explained. The housing 10 has connected to its upper end and encircling the same a water conducting housing 15, which, between the tub 1 and said housing 10 has a projectingledge or shelf portion 16 secured to said tub 1 and forming a communication between the interior of said housing and the interior of the tub 1 is a water conducting pipe 17, see

Fig. *3, having the lateral extenslon 18 and at the juncture of the two there is a manually operated valve 19, which may be operated to direct the flow of water through the pipe 17 from the housing 15 into the tub, or from the housing 15 through the extension 18, and

from thence through a hose, not shown, into a rinse tub or into any suitable and convenient drain, not shown. A drain pipe 20 connects the lower part of the tub. 1 with the lower portion of the housing 10- and includes a valve 21, see Figs. 1 and 4. This pipe also serves as a bracing means for the housing 10, in lieu .of any other frame sup port, which, however, may be provided, as

engineering design may dictate.

The frame support for the tub and extractor may be of any suitable or preferred design. For the present construction and ar rangement of parts the tub 1 is shown havin the legs or standards 22, and the extractor has a leg or standard 23, preferably connected with the housing 15 and saidstandardsor;

legs are connected and braced by the base members 24, which form asupport for the motor 4 and other parts, as may bedesired.

Caster wheels 25, forthe frame,enable the .25 between the gear 13 and the base of said casing. Said shaft extends up into the housing 10 to a point near thetop thereof and has a slidable bearingrelation in a stem 26 which is threaded through the bottom of the housing 10, see Fig. 4, and connected thereto be- Death and next adjacent said bottom, is a brake shoe 27 Said stem has a flange 28 between which and the bottom wall of the housing 10 is a gasket 29. This connection, between'said stem 26 and the bottom of said housing 10 provides the necessary water-seal to prevent leakage.

Supported within the housing 10' and adapted to have a detachable, as well as a driving connectionwith the shaftl4, is an extractor 30. Such extractor, when in normal operative position withinsaid housin 10, is so spaced in relation to the walls of sai housing as to provide a water space between the side walls of such housing and extractor and between the bottoms of said housing and extractor, see F ig.'4. A sleeve 31 is formed or provided standing vertically and axially within said extractor and is adapted to have a telescopic bearing relation with said stem 26,- being provided, as shown with a'shouldered upper end 32 resting on the upper end of said stem 26, with a threaded end 33 of the shaft 14 protruding thereabove. Said sleeve has a radial notch 34 in its upper end, see 11 i'g. 7. To the upper threaded end of the shaft 14 is connected a hand or finger engaging knob 35 having a depending flange 36 adapted to encircle the upper notched end of the sleeve 31 and formed therewithin or connected thereto is a lug 37, see Fig. 7, adapted to clutch the sleeve 31 to the shaft 14. An attendant, by grasping the knob 35 may lift the shaft 14 and in so doing will raise the lug 37 on the flange of the knob out of the notch 34 in the sleeve 31 'declutching the shaft from said sleeve and consequently the extractor 30 from said shaft 14. Then by slightly turning said knob the lug 37 may be caused to rest on the upper end of the sleeve 31 and the shaft and extractor remain in declutched relation,

until the lug 37 is again inserted into theg extractor to be raised and removed entirely from the housing 10. Io the shaft 14 secureda preferably cone-shaped clutch member 38 adapted to" then be imparted through the shaft 8 and the gears. 12 and 13 to the shaft 14. Lifting the shaft 14 will release the clutch member 38 from the gear 13 and thus break the driving a connection between the shafts 8 and 14, and

* as at 42. This opening is, of course, large to stop the rotation of said shaft 14 and the extractor, when said shaft 14 is raised, the clutch member 38 is brought into engagement with the brake shoe 27 and thereby retards and stops said shaft. Itis understood, that in practice, the motor will rotate at a very fast speed, compared with the speed of the shaft 8 and that the latter rotates at a speedmuch slower than the speed of the shaft 14. The housing 10 and the extractor 30 are preferably inverted cone-shaped so that centrifugal action set up during rotation of the extractor will lift any water in or entering the extractor to the top thereof to be discharged therefrom.

, The housing 10, I prefer shall have a cast base 39 with an upstanding annular flange 40; also that the housing 15 shall be of cast material, preferably circular in cross-section with an upper wall having a central opening 41, the wall of which is curved downwardly,

enough in cross-seption, to permit the removal of the extractor 30 and itsparts. The lower wall of the housing 15 also has an opening 43, smaller in diameter than the opening 41 and thewall forming this opening; comprises a depending flange 44 to which and the flange 40 of the base 39, the sheet metal wall, forming the housing 10 is connected. The flange 44 extends slightly above the lower wall of the housing 15, see Fig. 4.

The extractor 30 is preferably ofsheet metal, but has a cast base 45 and the upper end of the extractor is provided with an inwardly turned flange 46 acting as a water shed for the extractor, and the wall of the extractor underlying said shed is provided with an annular row of water discharge openings 47 also to the extractor, at or near its upper end and exteriorly thereof is secured an annular ring 48, preferably a flat sheet metal ring which is inclined downwardly from the body of the extractor and curved at its outer peripheral edge to overlie the short upstanding flange 44 of the lower wall of the housing 15. Such ring functions as a water shed and guard to prevent water discharging from the extractor to enter the housing 10 at its upper end, as will be understood.

The base or bottom of the extractor 30 is provided with a plurality of openings 49, see Figs. 4 and 6 which provide communication between the housing 10 and the extractor,

and on the base or bottom of said extractor, exteriorly thereof and next adjacent each of said openings are fins or blades 50, which are preferably curved radially and act asimpelling ineans'when the extractor isrotated to the housing 15 will find itsway through the pipe 17, either into the tub 1 or into a rinse tubor dram depending :on the position of the valve 19. The base 40 of the housing 10 has a drain coupling 51 provided with a valve 52.

Hinged to the housing 15 at the side farthest from the tub 1 and to cars 53 connected thereto, is a combined drain board and cover 54, which maybe swung away from the top of the housing 15 and inclined downwardly toward a rinse tub, designated A- supported on a table B or similar rest; or the board may be swung up and into position over the housmg 15 to overlie and coverthe opening 41 therein, and prevent any splashing of water, due to the rotation of the extractor 30.

The drain board maybe provided with means, as shown at 55, adapted to engage the knob 35, connecting the shaft 14, so as to center and stabilize the sleeve, stem and shaft of the extractor when in operation extracting water from clothes and other materials.

It should be obvious from the arrangement of the operating means for both the tub and the valve 52 in the coupling"51 is open that water maybe drained from the tub, through the p 1pe 20 and into and from the housing 10 through the coupling 51, and the water thus drained discharged into a suitable receptacle, not shown, or in the event a hose, not shown, 1s connected to such coupling 51, the water may be conducted to a drain, not shown.

Preliminary to a washing and extracting operation, the tub 1 is supplied with the necessary amount of water. Should the attend ant leave the valve 21, in the pipe 20 open,

and the valve 52 be closed, water will enter the housing 10 and extractor 30 only to the depth of that whih is in the tub. It is not objectionable to have water in the housing 10 and'extractor 30, when supply the tub,

but it is better to close the valve 21. The free water in the clothes and other articles will be extracted, and in any. event the centrifugal force set up during the rotation of the extractor will keep the extractor comparatively free of water. The impelling means 50 on the extractor, in conjunction with the openings 49 in thebottom thereof, together with the centrifugal force, set up during the rotation of he extractor may be employed as the means f r' thoroughly draining the lionsing and extractor and the water discharged from the extractor through the openings 47 into the housing 15 ma be directed sleeve and the stem due to the bearin relation provided between the. sleeve an said stem at the lower and upper ends thereof and that due to the construction shown in the provision of the support for the sleeve at the upper end of the stem that a water seal connection is made to prevent waterentering the stem around the shaft 14, in the event, which is hardly probable, of water rising to the point on the stem in practice.

The extractor 30 is sometimes referred to as a spinner and is here interchan eably used, also the water conducting housing 15 is sometimes referred to as a trough and is here interchangeably used.

What I claim is: 1. In an extractor, a housin anextracting member, means to rotatab y mount the extracting member in the housing which meansextends adjacent to the upper end of the housin a combined drainbo'ard and cover having iinged connection with the hous- -ing,and adapted to be swun outwardly of the housing to form a drain oard, or to be moved to overlie the housing to form a cover therefor, and centeringomeans on the board adapted to engage the mounting mean when use as a cover, so as to stabilize the member durin rotation thereof.

2. extractor for a washing machine, comprising a housing, valved controlled means for conducting water from the upper end of said housing, valved controlled means for conducting water to the lower end of said housing, an extracting member rotatably sup ported in said housing and adapted by centrifugal action to expel water therefrom at its upper end, and having openings in its bottom wall providing communication between said member and said housing, water impelling means on the bottom of said member in proximity to said opening, and clutch controlled means for operating said member.

'3. An extractor for a washing machine; comprising an inverted, cone-like housing. open at its upper end, an annular chambered water conducting housing supported at the upper end and surrounding said housing and provided with a circular opening in its up- 'tractin ing an providing a water shed and guard per wall, valved controlled means for conuct ing water from said chambered hous ng, valved controlled means for conducting water to the lower end of said cone-like housing, an inverted cone-like extractin member rotatably supported in said coneike housin and having its upper endlying within said 0 ambered housmg and provided with water e ess openings in communication with said cfidmbered housing and also having open-- ings in its base providing communication between said extractor member and said cone housing, a rin -like member between said exmem er and said chambered housoverlying the open upper end of said cone housing, water impelhng means on the base of said extracting member in roximityto the openings therein and lying above and withinthe base of said cone housing, and clutch oon trolled means for operating said member.

4. An extractor for a washing machine,

admit water into said extracting member 7 from said cone-like housing, water impelling members de endi'ng from the base of said extracting mem er in proximity to the openings therein and curved radially of said base, a water shed and guard connected to and surrounding said extracting member below its water egress openings and overlying the upper end of said cone-like housing, means for conducting water fromsaid chambered housing, means for conducting water to the lower end of said cone-like housing, and means for rotating said extracting member. 5. An extractor for a washing machine, comprising a housing having an upwardly tapered imperforate wall, a tubular stem rising axially within said housing, an operating shaft passing up through the bottom of said housing and journaled in said stem, an extracting member disposed within said housing and having an upwardly tapered imperforate Wall paralleling the wall of the housing and spaced inwardly therefrom and having an upstanding sleeve journaled on said stem, said sleeve and stem terminating short of the upper end of said member, a driving shaft, and clutch controlled gearing between said shafts.

6. An extractor for a washing machine, comprising a housing having an upwardly tapered imperforate wall, a tubular stem rising axially within said housing, an operating shaft passing up through the bottom of said housing and journaled in said stem and protruding thereabove, an extracting member disposed within said housing and having an upwardly tapered imperforate wall parallelingthe wall of the housing and spaced inwardly therefrom and having an upstanding sleeve journaled on said stem, said sleeve and stem terminating short of the upper end of said member, means connected with the upper end of said operating shaft and adapted to clutch said sleeve with said shaft, a driving shaft, and clutch controlled gearing between said shafts.

7 An extractor for a washing machine, comprisin a housing, a tubular stem rising axially wlthin said housing, an extracting member disposed within said housing and having an upstanding sleeve journaled on said stem with a shoulderedend resting on the top of said stem, an axially movable operating shaft passing up through the bottom 'of said housing and through said stem and sleeve thereon, means engaging the upper end of said shaft adapted to clutch said sleeve with said shaft and movable with said shaft to declutch the same fromsaid sleeve, a driving shaft, and a clutch controlled gearing between said shafts.

8. An extractor for a washing machine, comprising a housing, a tubular stem rising axially within said housing, an extracting member disposed within said housing and having an upstanding sleeve journaled on said stem with a shouldered end resting on the top of said stem, an axially movable operating shaft passing up through the bottom of said housing and through said stem and sleeve thereon,'means engaging the upper end of said shaft adapted to clutch said sleevewith said shaft and movable with said shaft to declutch the same from said sleeve, a driving shaft, gearing between said shafts, the gear on the operating shaft being loose thereon, and a clutch member on said-operating shaft adapted to normally clutch the loose gear to its operating shaft and arranged to be declutched from said gear when said sleeve and shaft are declutched. i

9. An extractor for a washing machine, comprising a housing, a tubular stem rising axially within said housing, an extracting member disposed withinsaid housing and having an upstanding sleeve journaled on said stem with a shouldered end resting on the top of said stem, an axially movable operating shaft passing up through the bottom of said housing and through said stem and sleeve thereon, means engaging the upper end of said shaft adapted to clutch said sleeve with said shaft and movable with said shaft to declutch the same form said sleeve, a driving shaft, meshing gears on said driving and operating shafts, the latter being loose on its shaft andhaving a clutch engagclutching and declutching of said operating shaft with said sleeve, and a brake with which said clutch member is adapted to engage on the declutching of said sleeve from said operating shaft and thereby retard and stop the rotation of said operating shaft and extracting member. v

10. An extractor for a washing machine, comprising a housing, a tubular stem rising axially within said housing and passing through the bottom thereof with a water seal at the juncture of the stem with said bottom, a brake member secured to said stem below the bottom of said housing, an extracting member disposed within said housing and having asleeve surrounding said stem and a shouldered portion resting thereon, an operating shaft axially movable and rotatable within said stem, a hand engaging knob on the upper end of said shaft for moving said shaft axially and provided with means for clutching said shaft to and declutching the same from said sleeve, and partially turning v 1 said knob and shaft when declutched from said sleeve to hold the same in declutched re lation, a driving shaft, and meshing gears between said-driving and operating shafts, the latter loose thereon and provided with a clutch engaging face axially of its shaft, and a clutch member secured to said operating shaft adapted to be clutched to and declutched from the clutch engaging face of said gear simultaneously with the clutching and declutching of said operating shaft with said sleeve and when in declutched position to engage said brake to retard and stop said operating shaft and extracting member. 11. In an extractor, a housing, an extracting member, means to rotatably mount the extracting member in the housing, a socket on the upper end of said mounting means disposed adjacent to the upper end of the housing, a combined drainboard and cover having hinged connection with the housing, and adapted to be swung outwardly of the housing to form a drainboard or to be moved to overlie the housing to form a cover therefor, and a centering pin on the board formed to be rotatably received in said socket when used as a cover, so as to stabilize the member during rotation thereof.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto affixed my hand-this 16th day of July, 1929.

'- 1 BENJAMIN E. GETZ. 

